Striking The Balance : A Family And A Bank - Tapa dura

The rise of industrial society in Western Europe, the history of one of the greatest banks in the world, the fate of a family: all are woven together in this account of Sal. Oppenheim Jr & Cie., the illustrious private bankers of Cologne. The Oppenheim bank was founded more than 200 years ago. The family emerged from the Jewish ghetto and, over the decades, became, along with the Rothschilds, the most prominent representatives of German Jewry. In spite of its conversion to the Christian faith, the family was faced with a dramatic struggle for survival during Hitler's regime.

Michael Stuermer is professor of history at the University of Erlangen-Nurnberg. He has been a visiting professor at Harvard, the Institute of Advanced Study at Princeton, the Sorbonne, the University of Toronto and the Institute for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He has written and edited books on various subjects, including Europe and the Middle East.